ARLINGTON, Washington — Steve Crane, the test pilot for Eviation Aircraft, a manufacturer of all-electric aircraft, won the 2023 Iven C. Kincheloe Award for Alice’s first flight.
The award, given by the Society of Experimental Test Pilots (SETP), recognizes outstanding accomplishment by a test pilot in conducting a test flight.
“Steve worked directly with two flight test engineers, a small cadre of design engineers, and business leadership to maintain steady progress towards a safe first flight,” noted the Society of Experimental Test Pilots in presenting the Kincheloe Award to Crane. “Steve’s contribution to the aircraft program was invaluable, and ultimately culminated in his flawless first flight of the Alice, representing a major milestone for electric aviation and the future of air mobility.”
The nine-seater Alice flew for eight minutes at an altitude of 3,500 feet on Sept. 27, 2022, making it the world’s first flight-tested all-electric commuter aircraft.
Built from a clean-sheet design, it is powered by two magni650 electric propulsion units developed by magniX.
Gee only 8 minutes followed by a dead stick landing so the batteries could be recharged – or is the top of the fuselage configured with solar panels –
Interesting No info as to max range at max weight …yadayada
You ‘commenters’ are a tough crowd!
What is the wing loading at gross on that tiny wing? Stall speed at gross? Spin resistance and recovery with the small tail? Noise? Interior seating width with a cross section similar to the upstairs of a B747 or Me-262? What would the comparable numbers look like with a pair of turboprops? Since the word “sustainable” appears in the video, all based on the myth of man-made global warming and the non-existence of “limited” resources, it appears that part of their business model is based on eco-fear-mongering. It needs to be 100% economics as price is everything. How much of the funding of “Alice” is from government grants, aka fleecing taxpayers? What the heck kind of a name is “Alice” for an airplane, anyway?
Yeah, why couldn’t they pick a name that really screams airplane….like “Cub”. 🙂
Looks like a short test flight ✈️.
An award for an eight minute fight?
Were the 9 seats just empty or were they removed to achieve the 8 min flight duration?